Why VCCP US Is Ready for a Loud 2024

Brett Edgar joined VCCP in August 2022 as its first ever CEO for North America. 

The UK-founded independent network has had a presence in the States since 2016 when it acquired San Francisco agency MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER. Since then, various changes in names and structures have taken place before Brett came on board - from 72andSunny New York - with a vision to merge a newly launched VCCP office in New York and the west coast outpost M/H (renamed from MUH-TAY-ZIK | HOF-FER). 

“In one word, rebuilding,” Brett says to LBB’s Addison Capper about her main task over the past year. For me, this past year has been about rebuilding and strengthening our offering – and, in turn, our team – has been at the core of my role. That started with defining the skill sets we need to succeed and ensuring we were set up to deliver on our clients’ objectives. A big focus for me has been to merge the two separate companies that existed in the US into one, more powerful collective.

“It’s been a great year and we’re only just getting started,” adds Brett. “I’ve learned a lot; merging the two companies and integrating the two teams certainly proved a meaty challenge. But, the power I now see in the team is so exciting, and our clients feel it too.”

Brett believes that the VCCP brand really began to get cooking in the US right before covid hit. Since then, the business has proved successful but the timing of the pandemic took a toll on its marketplace awareness. VCCP USA has operated under the radar, so Brett and the team have taken an intentional, in-depth approach toward sharing its offering with brands, journalists and the like, which has played a key role in landing clients such as White Claw, T-Mobile for Business, Audi, and Native. “I’m so proud of our team’s work, and I look forward to seeing awareness build over the course of the year ahead and beyond,” says Brett. 

Currently, the US team consists of about 100 people, plus Waffles, the particularly cute dachshund of one staffer, who Brett was keen to single out. Headquarters in the US is a space near Gramercy Park in New York, with additional remote team members spread out across the country. This year has also seen the cementing of VCCP’s leadership team in the US with the hiring of former Arts & Letters ECD Jed Grossman as its CCO. Jonny Shaw, who has been part of VCCP for more than five years, leads strategy globally. 

Brett is proudest of the wins the agency managed to make while in the depths of rebuild mode, including Tate’s Bake Shop, Nutribullet, and Equinix. “We’ve also had the opportunity to do some really interesting work across a variety of categories,” says Brett. 

“For instance, this fall, we partnered with White Claw to make a splash at New York Fashion Week. At one of the biggest fashion moments of the year, the brand unveiled a first-of-its-kind exclusive bag in collaboration with fashion brand and design studio TOMBOGO. Partnering with White Claw on this moment, to us, signified the ultimate disruption of a cultural mainstay event from a challenger brand (who could forget the White Claw summer of 2019?).”

“We’ve also done a lot of really cool stuff with Blizzard Entertainment. Ahead of the launch of ‘Diablo IV’ this fall, we created Nightmare Fuel, an immersive dreamscape – or should I say nightmarescape? – that let superfans continue playing the game – and conquer their fears – while sleeping. We worked with a renowned dream researcher, Dr. Leslie Ellis, to bring the idea to life. Pretty cool stuff.”

A key element to all of this - and the agency’s “secret weapon” according to Brett - is strategy. “Our methodology to get to a sharp CBI (that’s short for ‘concentrated brand idea’) is the magic in our process,” says Brett. “Our strategists are the best in the business, helping brands identify clear, relevant north stars that inspire the full team. As we continue to evolve, get faster, do more, go deeper with data, we can’t ever lose our ability to keep our clients focused, providing sharp POVs that build cultural relevance.”

Brett is keen to establish VCCP US conducive to, but distinct from, VCCP at the global level. They have very similar ways of working but each marketplace, naturally, has its own quirks and challenges. 

“VCCP US has the insights and capabilities needed to meet the challenges of the North American marketplace,” says Brett. “And we want to keep communicating that message, more loudly in 2024.”